BEHIND THEIR MIEN

CHAPTER 9- NATALIE

It took us another hour or so to reach the mansion. The ride was quiet. Mr. Wild had a lot to process and we both were really cold despite the butt warmer and heater switched on. I admired Mr. Wild's will power and desire to protect his family. It made me wish I had someone like him back in my childhood to protect me...save me. We both quietly got out of the car and went our ways to our room but Mrs. Wild stopped us.

" My god! What happened to you both? Why are you drenched? " she asked us to stop.

" It's raining, we were out for...some business, it started raining and we couldn't get in the car in time." I lied to her after sensing that Mr. Wild was in no condition to answer. After I replied, he just shot me a graceful glance and went straight to his room.

He made things awkward because now Mrs. Wild wouldn't stop looking back and forth between his retreating figure and me.

" Well at least we didn't kill each other this time. I'll go and take a warm bath. Don't wanna get sick " I told her and literally ran away.

I took a quick shower with cold water itself, changed into warmer clothes and headed to Mary's room to check up on her. Mason was lying beside her, holding her hand. He must have fallen asleep while talking to her. My heart broke for him. He loves her so much. I quietly and quickly checked Mary's vitals and bp, heart levels and everything that needed to be checked and got out.

I need to check everything on Lucy. She knew everything or at least something. She hates me but her coming to meet me all the way out to warn me to stop meant that something was going on. How many more people need to get hurt before the truth is out? But what exactly is the truth?

I opened my laptop and started searching about the person Lucy Bale was connected most to-Luke Wild. Youngest son of Oliver and Mellissa Wild. Ran away from his house at the age of 19, soon after his high school graduation, that's almost 9 years ago. It was one month after the Sanchez family was murdered by the famous serial/assassin killer Ester Monique. But why did he run away specifically after that time? Was he too shocked with their deaths?

I started searching more on the Sanchez family case.

William Sanchez was a top notch hockey player. He started playing in NHL since he was 18 and retired at 30 after his leg injury but became hockey coach and aced in that too. In the 4 years he coached, his team won one after another, the Stanley cups. William Sanchez was a hockey god in another sense. He met Violet Sanchez in high school. Their dating life was really private so not much information is there.

Violet Sanchez died during childbirth due to blood mix up.. medical malpractice. Their twins Isabella Sanchez and Thomas Sanchez were born healthy. Both the twins were excellent hockey players at a young age. Both the twins were dotted on by their whole group. Their godparents Oliver and Mellissa Wild, other Family friends like Ronald holts, Olivia Kennel, James Wild, Elizabeth Rhys and their whole family. Isabella Sanchez being the ONLY GIRL in the whole friend/family group was extremely dotted on. Now that I remember Dr. Hayden also mentioned her - Bella.

2010 November 11th, just one day after their 8th birthday the twins were taken away by the famous serial killer/ assassin - Esther Monique and found on January 1st. William Sanchez was the one who found them both alive and called the cops. But in between the call and the cops arriving, both William Sanchez and Thomas Sanchez had died. Isabella Sanchez is barely alive.

She was yet again kidnapped from the hospital the following week and her body found two weeks later.

I didn't know when I had started crying...there wasn't much details but my heart broke for everyone, for William Sanchez to first lose his wife and then suffer 2 months for his twins only to lose everything again, for Thomas, such a small child, the hope he must have felt when his father finally found him and the pain of losing him and himself dying after surviving for so long. Thomas's body was not in one piece...pieces.. several. Such a small child. And William Sanchez was burnt. And Isabella Sanchez.. god!!

What that child must have felt! The most spoiled dotted princess of such strong families. Her parent's friend group was such a strong group, not only in power and money but in that bond. The love she must have had growing up being the only girl in the circle, and the extra love she must have had given by her aunts and god mother after losing her own mother ...the trauma and suffering she must have gone through ...to lose everything. The hope and relief when her father found them, only for them both to die. The trauma she must have felt when she was again taken for another 2 weeks and knowing her family is no more.

God!! How could anyone do that to a child and a family! And Why would anyone do that? My heart broke for the Sanchez family and the twins but somewhere in me I was glad that they died. It made me feel like a monster but I was glad the twins died but I feel that was way better than to live further and remember how much they've lost. The trauma being repeated. I have gone through the trauma of being assaulted and I wished for a really long time that maybe if I died I wouldn't be feeling the pain. But I am an adult now. But the twins...they were just 8. They had just turned 8 for god's sake. May they all rest in peace.

I laid on my bed, trying to clear my head of all the disturbing news I collected and put together. I was envious of the friendship and friends group these people had. Mellissa, Oliver, William, Violet, James, Ronald and Elizabeth, all best friends since high school to this date. The pain they must have felt when they lost a whole family to such a tragedy.

The thought made me sit up straight. The whole family is tragic! 3 members killed by Ester Monique, a serial killer but also an assassin! And Violet Sanchez was also killed ...wait the blood mix up had a mix up! The wrong blood was supposed to be given before the delivery.. which would have killed the twins. It was the twins who were taken and the prime victims. William Sanchez died saving them.

I could bet my life's savings that Ester Monique was given the task to kill the twins before they were born along with Violet.....just like Mary...

I got up immediately and headed to Nathan Wild's room, knocking continuously. I don't even know why I came to him when he clearly needed some space. Nevertheless he opened the door and his eyes were filled with surprise.

" I think I found something...completely based on the internet. I was initially looking for Lucy Bale and Luke Wild but then-'' I started rambling but Nathan Wild immediately pulled me inside and closed the door.

" Slow down, someone could hear you-" he stopped when he noticed how closely he had pulled me to himself, inches away from our bodies crashing into each other. His eyes were of bronze color, perfectly fitting his hair shade, complementing his face, were suddenly dilating.

I took a step back,'' I apologize for being careless and I know I shouldn't have come. You need some time to process but I think I found something "I told him but instead he gestured to me to sit on one of the sofas. It took me a moment to register that I am inside his room. It didn't look like a room. Rooms are supposed to be small and comfortable with just a closet, bed, side bed table and maybe a study table. His room was a freaking house. A set of 3 sofas, a huge king size bed, an enormous coffee table with chair, side tables, huge lambs and spiral stairs that lead to his closet upstairs. I looked at the door, then back to the room and then back to Mr. Wild

" Did I just enter another house?" I blinked multiple times. This can't be a room. This is a house! My flat is probably smaller than his closet alone is.

" It is my room. Perks of being rich. Now if you may, please sit down" he said, his eyes filled with amusement at my confused state. I knew rich people were GODLY rich, but this room was on another level. I wonder if the rest of the rooms too are like this. I sat on the sofa, softer than cotton. God. I could spend my whole study session sitting on this sofa.

" Would you like to have something?" he asked but I shook my head, reality suddenly coming back to me as I saw a huge photo frame hanging on the main wall. Filled with 9 people. 9 very extremely happy people. Mellissa Wild in the middle, with William and Oliver at her sides, with bright smiles sitting on a sofa. Nathan Wild directly behind Melissa with Luke and Mason Wild at each of his sides. Mason Wild laughing and holding a very upside down laughing Thomas Sanchez while Luke Wild lifting a smiling Isabelle Sanchez on his shoulders, the twins couldn't be older than 7, everyone so young, so damn happy and so in love. I turned to Nathan Wild who was observing me.

"I think their whole family was planned to be murdered"

The family structure might be confusing. There's a Family tree at the end of the book for better clarification.